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tv   Newsline  PBS  December 5, 2012 5:00pm-5:30pm PST

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hello there, welcome to "newsline." it's thursday, december 6th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. authorits inorth korea are pressing ahead with plans to launch what they call a rocket. south korean government officials say their neighbors are sending up a missile. they say it has a range of more than 10,000 kilometers capable of reaching the u.s. west coast. experts used data from previous launches to make their estimate. they say a missile launched in 2009 had a range of almost 7,000 kilometers. north korean officials tried again in april. the rocket exploded shortly after takeoff. seconds longer tn those used 18 inrevious attempts. the experts believe engineers may have succeeded in reducing the size of a nuclear warhead. south korean officials say workers have completed the assembly of the three-stage missile. they say once the crew injects
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the fuel, it will be ready to go. authorities in pyongyang say they've launch between the 10th and 22nd of this month. they say they're sending a satellite into orbit. but leaders of japan and other countries believe the north koreans are carrying out a test of a long-range ballistic missile. the senior u.s. diplomat on north korea has warned the leadership there. he said the u.s. will refer the matter to the u.n. security council if they go ahead with the launch. >> we will be prepared to work with our partners, including at the united nations security council, to respond in a swift, effective, and credible manner. >> davies said the u.s. could strengthen sanctions. he said existing penalties have already hampered north korea's nuclear program. davies has been holding discussions with his counterparts from china, as well japan and south korea. he said he hopes the chinese can use their influence with their allies in pyongyang. u.s. diplomats have made similar
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warnings over the years and the north koreans have ignored them. >> reporter: the ballistic missile launch will be the second since kim jong-un took pow area year ago. it will use the same launch pad at a site in the northwestern part of the country. before the first test in april, officials in pyongyang said the 30-meter, three-stage rocket was meant to carry a satellite. but japan, the united states and south korea said the launch was in fact a ballistic missile test. the test ended in failure with the rocket exploding in midair two minutes after liftoff. it broke into more than ten pieces and fell into the ocean. analysts say north korea's young leader kim jong-un wants to correct this failure
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before his first anniversary of his father's death on december 17th. kim may also be trying to consolidate his power base by showing his dedication to a may 31st policy. kim has also vowed to develop north korea's economy. >> translator: we must start on a path of industrial revolution for the new century to make north korea a great economic power. >> reporter: but there are no tangible signs of improvement. the u.n. world food program says 16 million north koreans, or nearly 70% of the population, suffer from malnutrition. north korea's relations with the outside world are at a standstill. last february the united states agreed to provide food aid in exchange for a freeze on ballistic missile tests. but the deal was broken after the north tested a missile in april.
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north korea's leadership has been trying to hold direct talks with the united states, but officials in washington said they are not ready to accept. china is also applying pressure on its neighbor. arguing that the missile launch would violate u.n. resolutions. several japanese ships have headed to southwestern japan to get ready for the launch. they're carrying intercepter missiles. a maritime self-defense force vessel arrived at ishiyaki equipped with surface to air missiles. the flight path could take it over those waters. sdf personnel are employing the system in the event they need to shoot down any debris. personnel will take similar precautions around neighboring miyako island. they'll send destroyers to the
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area. the ships are equipped with the aegis missile defense system. personnel can use the technology to track projectiles in space. the new leader of t chinese communist party is sending out mixed signals. xi jinping says he wants to pursue a peaceful foreign policy. at the same time, china is locked in territorial disputes with japan and several southeast asian nations over islands in the east and south china seas. xi told a group of foreign academics in beijing that china poses neither a challenge nor a threat. >> translator: looking at china's history, cultural traditions, and current conditions, china will never adopt a policy of dominance or expansionism. ouprperityill bring peace and will benefit the rest of the world. >> analysts say xi hopes to ease concerns that china's new leadership intends to adopt a
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hard-line stance on diplomacy. however, on the same day he told a senior military commander to prepare strong missile units for possible conflict. lawmakers in the u.s. senate have offered japanese government officials reassurance on the senkaku island. they unanimously approved a key defense bill stating the u.s. is covered by the u.s./japan security treaty. the national defense authorization act sets the framework for the defense budget. the legislation was amended to state the u.s. acknowledges japan's administration of the islands. but it stresses that the american government takes no official position on the islands' sovereignty. the bill also reaffirms the u.s. commitment to japan under article v of the bilateral security treaty. the article says the american military will defend japan in the event of an attack. japan coast guard crews have been patrolling the senkaku islands around the clock.
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they also have to be prepared for disasters. officers warn an aging fleet is making it hard for crews to keep up. >> reporter: the iwame patrols the sea of japan. the coast guard ship is based in shimane prefecture on the sea of japan. she's a large vessel, 78 meters long. after 32 years on the job, the iwame is showing her age. the coast guard would like to replace each of its 120 vessels every 25 years. but about three out of ten have been in service longer than that. with a yearly budget of $2.2 billion, the coast guard can't afford to replace old ships at the rate it would like. so they keep the ships going with makeshift repairs. >> translator: we have to deal with leaky fuel pipes. steam and seawater are always a problem. my crew is constantly running around, dealing with these
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problems. >> reporter: and in ships like these, crews must deal with the senkaku crisis. after the government bought several islands in september, chinese vessels stepped up incursions into japan's territorial waters. japan's coast guard answered by rotating vessels to the islands from around the country. their mission, a 24-hour watch over japan's islands and warding off intruders. the iwame did a two-week stint in september. but the pace of the missions strained the aging ship. when pipes sprung leaks, the crew had to plug them with cement. otherwise, the propeller would have heated up. and in the engine room, the crew stemmed leaks with bicycle tire tubes.
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>> translator: as the ship gets old, pipes rust and explode. in the worst case, a ship could become flooded. >> reporter: boats should ideally be repaired in dry dock. but for the iwame, there's no time. >> translator: normally the ship would have to undergo regular overhauls. we're giving priority to the parts that affect the safety of the crew. that's where we're focusing our efforts. >> reporter: in late october, the chiefs of japan's 11 coast guard headquarters gathered in tokyo. senior officers stressed that a prolonged mission at the senkaku islands would cause other problems. rescue operations and other patrols would be affected. >> translator: our ships are being rotated more due to the senkaku islands and other
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missions. and that wears down our vessels even faster. we want to upgrade our equipment soon. for example, replacing old patrol ships with high-performance vesse. we will be working as fasts possible to improve our readiness. >> reporter: the government responded by earmarking $210 million for three new ships and equipment. but chinese vessels keep up the pressure near the senkaku islands. the dispute looks like it could drag on. and that puts more burden on japan's aging ships and stressed-out crews. populous. prosperous. pushing ahead. china's rise brought it wealth, power, and problems. an income gap divides its people. pollution threatens their health.
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and disputed seas strain relations with its neighbors. find out about the challenges china faces on "newsline." the leaders of most countries envy china's growth. it set a dip of below 8% for the first time in years. ai uchida joins us. >> a lot of people when they hear china think manufacturers, partsmakers, clothesmakers, toymakers. they export many things to the world and that's exactly what's slowing down, exports. china's government economists say they expect their economy to grow less than 8% this year. it would be the first time in 13 years that growth in the country has slowed if their forecast is accurate. a representative of the chinese academy of social sciences said china's economy would grow 7.7% this year, which is down 1.6% from last year. >> translator: china's exports are slowing because of the
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european debt crisis and the global economic slow-down. >> he said the chinese economy bottomed out in the july to september quarter. that's because industrial output and consumption improved in both september and october. he predicts the country's economic growth will recover to about 8.2% next year from public investment expansion and monetary easing measures. but he called for flexible government policies if the situation in europe worsens. the chinese government earlier this year revised its growth target to 7.5% from around 8% in preceding years. over in the united states, president barack obama is urging republicans to approve a tax hike on the wealthy. he says this is needed to avert the impending fiscal cliff of automatic austerity measures that could drag the economy into recession. obama said on wednesday that federal revenues will not reach the level needed to implement his proposals to cut the deficit unless taxes are raid on the
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wealthy. >> there is a bottom-line amount of revenue that is required in order for us to get a real, meaningful deficit reduction plan. >> obama added that if republican officials acknowledged this reality, the actual numbers proposed by each party are not that far apart. republicans have made a counteroffer. they want to raise revenue by reviewing the current tax deduke system. house speaker john boehner has urged the president to compromise. >> our members believe strongly that raising tax rates will hurt the economy. now we need a response from the white house. >> unless the two sides reach an agreement by the end of this year, the automatic tax increases and spending cuts will take effect in the new year. time to get a check on the markets now. the nikkei here in tokyo rose above the key 9,500 level as concerns about the u.s. economy eased. the nikkei index right now
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trading at 9521, a gain of over .5% from wednesday's close. traders said positive remarks about a fiscal cliff deal by president obama are aiding share prices. i guess port-related issues are leading the gains as the weakening trend of the yen is continuing. so let's take a look at the currency markets. the dollar is higher against the yen. that's on better than expected nonmanufacturing data out of the u.s. 82.40-43. euro/yen, that's in the mid 107 yen levels this thursday morning. taking a look at other markets in the asia-pacific, south korea's companiespy is 1949. let's take a look at australia. the benchmark index is lower by about.25%, 4508. let's see where china takes us when they open the next hour. european commission regulators have imposed a fine
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worth almost $2 billion for running two price-fixing cars sells. they say it's the highest-ever anti-trust penalty in their history. the commission leaders said they fined six companies a total of $1.47 billion euros for anti-competitive behavior. the firms are panasonic and toshiba, samsung sdi and lg electronics, phillips and technicolor. they say the officials of those companies met a number of times until 2006 to manipulate prices of cathode ray tubes, a component used at the time in tvs and computer monitors. the firms' executives are accused of dividing upuropn markets amongst themselves for ten years. that's the latest in business. here's a check on regional markets.'st in business. here's a check on regional markets.st in business. here's a check on regional markets.
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delegates at the u.n. conference on climate change are deadlocked over what should succeed the kyoto protocol. they're trying to draft a new framework to cut emissions. but ministers meeting in doha, qatar, disagree about who should shoulder the responsibility. u.s. special envoy todd stern told delegates any new framework needs to apply to all countries. >> we need all of us to hasten the transition to low-carbon economies so we can avoid the
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much more serious risks that await us in the future. >> japan's environment minister nagahama did not address concerns japan will miss its midterm goal of cutting emissions by 25% by 2020. but he promised to continue financial support for developing nations. >> translator: japan will contribute to fight climate change through cooperation with all the countries, including developing nations. >> delegates from industrialized nations say emerging economies should bear an equal burden. they say greenhouse gas emissions are rising rapidly in countries such as china and india. but the senior chinese delegate said industrialized countries should look at their own record. >> translator: we can't change the fact that industrialized nations have long been the main emitter of greenhouse gases and the cause of climate change. >> ministers have only two days
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to wrap up their discussions. the evacuees of namee town have been away from home for 21 months and it could be years before they return. they were among the people who had to evacuate after the nuclear disaster in fukushima and many are feeling stressed out after their long separation from family and friends. one of them has come up with a novel way to pick up their spirits. >> reporte clams fromhome, and salmon. people from namee have always used generous portions for local dishes. nowadays, these people hardly ever sit down to a hometown feast like this. they all had to leave town to get away from last year's nuclear disaster in fukushima. some ended up in shelters in
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namahata prefecture and that's where they're preparing these dishes. shizue brought them all together. she thought cooking and eating hometown food would help keep the old spirit alive. >> translator: i heard lots of people saying they were craving the food they used to eat back home. i wanted to make their wishes come true. >> reporter: amano, her husband, and two daughters evacuated in may last year. while amano yearns for home, she is under no illusions she'll be there soon. according to the town's reconstruction plan, residents can't return for at least five years. >> translator: i feel very frustrated. the hardest thing for us residents is being torn apart from each other.
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>> reporter: amano has become a social worker. she visited namee residents living in the area and asks them what they need. she decided to take the job d friends were stressed out es living away from home. >> translator: i realized that the town's reconstruction can only begin by reviving the spirits of namee residents. >> reporter: one way of doing this is cooking up dishes everyone always ate back home. >> hello, how have you been? >> i've missed eating our local rice dish. >> you haven't had this for a long time. >> i look forward to seeing you. >> reporter: 40 namee relevance dents made their way here from across the prefecture.
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they use fresh seafood usually caught off the coles of namee this time of year. naturally, their favorite dish was on the menu. >> translator: it has the good old familiar taste. i think it's turned out very well. >> translator: it's delicious. >> translator: it tastes of home. it's bringing tears to my eyes. >> translator: they seem to be having so much fun. iould like to keep on doing things to keep fresh the taste of namee.
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>> reporter: they've been uprooted from home and separated from friends. but for one afternoon, at least, the namee evacuees have this. the taste of hometown food that nourishes both body and soul. thousands of people waiting to go home. tons of debris waiting for disposal. fast tracts of land waiting to be restored. overcoming the challenges of japan's 2011 disaster won't be easy. but step by step, people are moving forward. find out how on "the road ahead" every wednesday at 1:00 p.m. japan time right here on "newsline." people in many areas of the philippines are dealing with floods after a typhoon hit the
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countr that typhoon has moved on. but it's lingering in waters nearby, making it difficult for residents in affected regions to clean up. meteorologist sayaka mori tells us why. >> typhoon bopha is now situated over the south china sea, still bringing rain to the north of the philippines. right now, sustained winds are about 120 kilometers per hour with gusts of 180. it's going to stay over the south china sea. that means picking up a lot of moisture so it could intensify even more and it's going to stay here once again. so rough sea conditions will prolong across the coastal areas of the philippines and also strong northeasterly winds will continue to form in the center of the storm. rain will continue, particularly in eastern luzon. further flooding, landslides are going to be an ongoing risk here. up toward the north we have another storm. this is a wintry one moving through northern japan.
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we can see clouds appearing over the sea of japan. we have reports of about 150 kilometers per hour gusts in yamagata prefecture. conditions will get even worse as the system moves through over the next several hours. gusts could hit 160 kilometers per hour and waves could reach nine meters. enough height to cause coastal flooding and heavy rainfall, up to 60 centimeters likely of wet snow could stick to power lines that could cause extensive pow uroverages. there is the possibility of tornados as well as frequent lightning. very stormy conditions mainly along the sea of japan side. on the other hand, the pacific side should stay largely dry. meanwhile, we saw snow showers in and around seoul yesterday. about 7 centimeters piled up. but we are seeing cloudy conditions, sunny conditions in parts of south korea. however, the next storm system
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will be moving into the korean peninsula, bringing another round of snowy weather once again on your friday. very cold to the north. only minus 1 in beijing. minus 4 in seoul, 10 degrees cooler than average. moving into the americas, then, after days of stormy weather we're seeing drier conditions across the northwest. although we're seeing some light showers lingering in british columbia. parts of california and snow showers for the cascades and the northern rockies, not too severe. heavy rain, snow and strong winds battering central canada. that's moving toward the east. quebec will see blizzard-like conditions from your thursday. light showers for the southeast coast. other than that, dry and hot for this time of year to the south. 24n houston. 21 in oklahoma city. getting back to normal across the eastern seaboard. finally, let's go over to the european continent. lots of things are going on. frigid air is blanketing the north, producing snow showers
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for parts of the british isles, southern scandinavian peninsula. rain is intensifying over the iberian peninsula. storms affecting the central and east mediterranean because we have frigid air to the north colliding with warmer air from africa. severe weather will continue into your friday. temperatures are very chilly. only zero degrees in berlin. minus 1 in moscow. minus 2 in warsaw. 4 in paris. you may see snow showers on friday. here's the extended forecast.
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that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us.
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